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Saturday, 19 June 2010

Back in January Susie explored the Sartorial Disneyland of menswear trade shows that is PittiUomo for me and unearthed a trio of lip smackingly good footwear brands. H? Katsukawa from Tokyo was among them. This season I just had to see his hand made shoes for myself. Now, the exhibitiors at Pitti are an eye opening, knowledgeable and inspiring collective of talented individuals but they tend to dislike an enthusiasts camera. Thankfully I was fortunate enough to meet the designer of these breathtaking shoes, EiichiKatsukawa and he positively encouraged me to shoot his designs and he talked me through his label. Katsukawa makes hand made, wonderfully colourful and patterned brogues, along with wonderfully distressed Nibe leather brogues from his studio in Tokyo. Katsukawa fell in love with shoes when he worked in the shoe repair department at the Japanese retailer Isetan. After happy days in Tokyo he moved to Northampton to learn shoe design and its production method at "Tresham Institute Footwear" course where he met Paul Harnden. Following his graduation from the Institute he gained further experience interning for Harnden in Brighton before returning to Tokyo. From there EiichiKatsukawacontinued his passion for shoe making,creating bold and striking designs...

"I express the avant-garde style as new viewpoints and the day-to-dayness as enjoyments by creating a form of shoes. And the essence of that form is intangible love."EiichiKatsukawa on his leaher creations.

For Katsukawa shoes should be enjoyed. The should bring a smile to the face of the wearer and the people who encounter them throughout the day. Let me introduce you to his smile inducing yet stunningly beautiful, hand crafted designs...

The distressed Nibe leather boots.

The distressed Nibe leather shoes.

A selection of shoes have been added to his line.

The Star Print brogues are a new addition but they are fast becoming Katsukawa's favourites and it is easy to see why.

H? Katsukawa from Tokyo might be known for its distressed Nibe leather boots and shoes but Eiichi has developed his line with a selection of lace ups.

As far as I cold ascertain for my excited talk with Eiichi, the brand is unfortunately only available in a few select stores in Tokyo (including United Arrows). H? Katsukawa from Tokyo can be added to the mountain of reasons why I need to save like Uncle Scrooge before going to Japan with wide eyes, open wallet and an empty suitcase.

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Style Salvage is blog about how men could (and do) dress. Started back in June 2007, the blog aims to showcase emerging and established design talent alike. It features style commentary, 7 day style diaries, interviews with designers, journalists and shop owners mixed in with the occasional personal style shot.